A new Kickstarter campaign is making waves with its promise to tackle the overheating issues some PlayStation 5 owners have been experiencing, particularly those unfortunate instances where the console’s rear I/O might melt. At the time I checked, the campaign had raised an impressive $89,000, with ambitions to reach a $125,000 stretch goal. The cooler itself starts at an affordable $39.
The product in question, named the Arctic PS5 cooler, claims to be the first AI-powered cooler for the PS5. Designed as a clip-on device, it attaches directly to the rear exhaust of the PS5, using four to six fans to actively expel heat. This clever device draws power from a single USB port while featuring a pass-through USB, so you don’t lose a valuable port on your console.
SCRY, the company behind this initiative, offers three distinct models tailored to fit each version of the PS5: the original (nicknamed the “fat” model by SCRY), the PS5 Slim, and the newly introduced PS5 Pro. Both the Slim and Pro models boast four fans—three positioned on top and one at the bottom. Meanwhile, the “fat” version ups the ante with six fans.
A central feature touted repeatedly on the Kickstarter page is the “smart thermal AI,” which dynamically adjusts fan speed in response to the console’s internal temperature. It’s a bit mysterious whether this is any different from the customary PC fan controls we’ve known for years. For instance, once the temperature hits 50°C, the fans supposedly kick into high gear to keep everything cool.
SCRY asserts that their cooler can slash temperatures by 30% compared to the PS5’s standard operation, potentially lowering temps from a high of 64°C down to 55°C. Thermal images on their site reveal a significant 9-degree Celsius drop at the PS5’s hottest point, specifically the ethernet port located at the rear of the chassis.
The main aim of these coolers is to ward off overheating troubles seen on Sony’s latest machine. Last year, there were stories about overheating during certain games like Final Fantasy XVI, with rare reports of the PS5 getting so hot the rear connectors could actually start melting.
Apart from the coolers, SCRY is showcasing a Gen 4 M.2 SSD complete with a heatsink within their Kickstarter offering.
Moreover, if the campaign hits the $125,000 milestone, backers can expect a bonus “vertikal” universal PS5 stand. Other stretch goals are also in place for $75,000 and $100,000, although details on these will “announced when unlocked,” according to the campaign’s main page.
